


Chenford Finale Drabbles

by ReaderOfFics817



Category: The Rookie (TV 2018)
Genre: F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Partnership, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-05-05
Packaged: 2021-03-03 04:47:49
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24029116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ReaderOfFics817/pseuds/ReaderOfFics817
Summary: Just some random drabbles regarding the events in part 1 of the season 2 finale; chenford focused of course; first chapter is short and sweet, second a little longer; can be read alone or together. First time taking a crack at writing fics.
Relationships: Tim Bradford & Lucy Chen, Tim Bradford/Lucy Chen
Comments: 7
Kudos: 114





	1. All Good

She thought she was good, she really did. The nightmares still happened, but they were few and far between; she even went on a date, with a real life man. Took him home, too; and God, it was fun. But, PTSD was no joke and some triggers were still unknown. Nolan had warned her that he was going to speak with Rosalind Dyer in prison about Armstrong, but hadn’t said much more than that. So, sitting there in their makeshift briefing, it had hit her like a wall. Armstrong was dirty, Rosalind knew, the mere mention of Rosalind was enough to give her a sinking feeling in her stomach, a tremble in her hands, but, Armstrong? - does that mean he had some part in her kidnapping? - were cops now another subset of people she couldn’t trust? First her friend, then her superior. When would it end? She felt the tell tale signs of a panic attack coming on: pulse increase, breaking out in a sweat, feeling like she couldn’t take a deep breath. Breathe, she told herself, trying to do the meditative techniques she had known since a kid… 

Bradford noticed the change in Lucy, he was always in tune with her, especially after the kidnapping; he also knew the signs of a panic attack, no stranger to them after returning from his military service in the Middle East. He could see her drop her focus from Grey to her internal self, saw the small tremble in her hand as she tried to latch her thumb around her belt loop to steady it, saw her chest rise and fall trying to take a deeper breath than was normal for this situation. It hurt him to see this, but he was also incredibly proud of her; in a few short months she had recovered from every woman’s biggest nightmare; she had come back to work stronger and sharper than ever, and she had even gone out on a date, and from their conversation a few evenings ago, it had gone farther than just what he had witnessed…but he didn’t want to think about that. 

He had been standing against the door frame, listening to Grey, but his focus too had now shifted; his eyes were on Lucy, contemplating going over there, but also wanting to find the balance of letting her figure it out for herself, if possible. But, now the conversation had switched from direct focus on Armstrong, to the information Nolan was able to get out of Rosalind. He saw her breath quicken, the tremble in her hand worsen, and slowly walked his way over to where she was standing against the kitchen counter, pretending he needed a glass of water. 

He didn’t say anything at first, trying to keep the whole situation quiet; he knew she wanted to be on this case and if Grey caught wind of it, he would have her thrown off of it in a second. He didn’t know Lucy like he did, he would be concerned for her safety, for Tim’s safety if something went down; but Bradford knew better. He knew she needed this case, the focus of it, and if there was anything they had in common, their ability to snap into almost a different life form when shit went down to protect each other and get the job done, would ensure that neither of them were in danger. 

So, instead, he used the counter to his advantage, coming up next to her, silently placing his steady hand over her trembling one. He heard her left out a slow, shaky breath as he did so, but a shaky breath that was far calmer than what he’d witnessed only moments earlier. “You’re okay, Lucy; Rosalind can’t hurt you and Armstrong would have to get through me first,” he whispered with a smile, low enough that the others didn’t even notice. 

She looked at him then, eyes full of adrenaline but also understanding. He nodded, conveying that he knew what was wrong and she was going to be fine, before he turned his attention back to Grey. She flipped her hand so that he now grasped it fully, gently rubbing his thumb up and down hers, giving her something to focus on. 

“Thank you.” He heard her whisper back. 

They stood like this through the rest of the meeting; him stroking her thumb gently, her focusing on it to steady her breath. It worked, and she felt her heart rate fall, felt those blotchy edges of her periphery return to clarity. They were a true partnership she realized then; he could acknowledge and understand her needs in a way few others could, and as much as training with him had been no walk in the park, she was thankful; thankful for the strength and resilience he caused her to build. She wasn’t sure if she had been under another T.O. she would have survived the kidnapping, or come out of it as quickly as she had; but with Tim by her side, she felt like she could overcome anything. Maybe one day, their relationship would morph, but right now, this is exactly what she needed. No pity, no outright concern, just support.  
The meeting ended, Tim squeezing her hand twice to make sure she was back in focus. She was, and she gently loosed her grasp from Tim’s, letting the warmth of his hand to fall back to his side. Tim nodded at Grey, indicating he understood the plan, before acknowledging he would see him tomorrow morning. 

“You good, Boot?” Asking in a way the others would think he was just checking in that she understood the plan, but she knew he was asking much more than that. 

“All good.” She responded, smiling at him to convey the full message. 

“Then get some rest, it’s going to be a long few days. No room for mistakes.” He spoke in his best T.O. voice. 

The group went on their separate ways, Lucy climbing in the car with Jackson to go back to her apartment, before she felt a buzz from her phone. Looking down she had a message from Tim, ‘I have my phone.’ Simple, direct, and oh, so Tim-like; causing her to smile. He truly was way more caring than he let on, and she found great comfort in that.

“Were you okay in there, Lucy?” Jackson asked, knowing that it couldn’t have been an easy topic for her to listen to; he had been there for all her nightmares, and knew she was recovering, but still. 

“I am surprisingly good, Jackson. Thank you.” She smiled, knowing with confidence that she was, in fact, going to be okay.


	2. If I Die Young

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lucy sings at the funeral of their fallen friend.

Though they were still in the middle of the active investigation, it was Saturday; therefore, the day they would lay their friend Officer Chris Rios to rest. Jackson was particularly hit with the death of his friend; though they were rivals, they had a lot in common; Lucy knew this was going to be a tough weekend for her friend and she would do anything to ease that, which is why she didn’t hesitate when Jackson asked her to sing at his funeral. Jackson had known his family as a kid and had offered to help with preparations, trying to honor the police badge, but also bringing some personal aspects in to the service. 

They arrived at the memorial with their respective T.O.s, dressed to the nines in their dress blues. Lucy was quiet on the drive, which Tim understood as much as her silence unnerved him, this was her friend, and she had only recently escaped a similar fate, the thought causing bile to rise in to his throat. He doesn’t think he could have driven himself if this had been Lucy’s funeral, it simply was an outcome he wasn’t willing to accept. Though he didn’t fully understand his own feelings toward her at this point, he had come to acknowledge that she would never just be another rookie, she had changed him in more ways than he ever thought possible, and to think this could have been her outcome, made him want to drop to his knees and pray to whatever God would listen. 

“Chen, you okay?” Tim asked trying to come out of his own spiraling thoughts. 

“No.” He could tell she was trying to hold back tears. 

“Boot…” he paused, using the name as a term of endearment, “These services are never easy, but know that every cop that dies in the line of duty went out doing what he or she loved. Chris protected people and knew the risks. Even in his short time, he made a difference on this earth, he goes down a hero and that’s more than most people can say after seventy or even ninety years. So instead of focusing on a life lost too young, we have to reflect on his impact on the world, and honor that part of him. It could be us tomorrow, we never know; that’s the job; we can see and reflect on that from a place of fear, or we can embrace it, using it to celebrate life, as short as it may be.”

“Thanks Tim,” she sniffed, finding his words comforting as always. “Oh my god, I don’t know how I’m going to sing at this thing if I can’t even keep it together now.”

“Sing?” Tim paused; he didn’t even know she could sing. 

“Jackson asked and I couldn’t say no.” 

“No, I mean you sing?” 

“Oh, uh, kind of; I did it for fun growing up; but I haven’t sang in front of this many people since college. God.” She sounded exasperated, “Now I’m nervous, thanks” she sniffled, but had a bit of a laugh to it. 

They pulled up to the cemetery, walking across the field towards his place of rest. It was truly a beautiful day; flowers had sprung on the trees, the grass had the bright green color of Spring, and a slight breeze tapered down the LA sunshine. The pair met up with the rest of their crew, standing at attention with their fellow officers as family and friends arrived. Lucy and Jackson stood in the front, Lucy holding his hand, Nolan resting his hand on Jackson’s shoulder for support. This was the first death from their academy class and it definitely put some things in to perspective for them in a way the other funerals hadn’t. 

Jackson had given a beautiful speech about life as a police officer and shared memorable stories from their time at the academy, and how excited he had been to be making it through his training. He ended it, introducing Lucy and the band behind her as a fellow friends from the academy, dedicating her performance to a life well lived, “My hope is that we can take this time to reflect not on Chris’ death, but on his life; he accomplished so much, and I know I will carry his memory with me every day for the rest of my life; life is precious, and I know he would want us all to celebrate that, and not mourn for what was lost…” 

Lucy found a comfortable seat at the high stool they had set up for her; they even got a few fellow academy mates to accompany her for the musical aspects of the song. She was facing her fellow officers somehow, causing an uprising in stage anxieties she hadn’t experienced in years. That was until she made eye contact with Tim, who just nodded at her, giving her the confidence he knew she needed. So she began to sing…

If I die young bury me in satin   
Lay me down on a bed of roses   
Sink me in the river at dawn  
Send me away with the words of a love song

Lord make me a rainbow, I’ll shine down on my mother   
She’ll know I’m safe with you when   
She stands under my colors, oh and   
Life ain’t always what you think it oughta be, no   
Ain’t even grey, but she buries her baby   
The sharp knife of a short life   
Well, I’ve had just enough time 

It had been awhile, but singing to Lucy was like riding a bike. It was something she found solace in, and felt strongly that music could convey sometimes what words could not, making it perfect for a situation like this. She sang for her friends today, but also herself, knowing her life too could have been cut short just a few months prior. She saw John and Jackson bow their heads as she made it through the first two verses, so she too allowed her eyes to close. She remembered Chris at that moment, she remembered the academy, and how life had brought her to this point, the memories still full of color in her mind, nothing forgotten. Bradford had been right earlier, being a cop gave them purpose; no matter the outcome they had made a difference in this world, and that was something to take comfort in. 

If I die young bury me in satin  
Lay me down on a bed of roses   
Sink me in the river at dawn   
Send me away with the words of a love song   
The sharp knife of a short life.   
Well I’ve had just enough time. 

And I’ll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom   
I’m as green as the ring on my little cold finger  
I’ve never known the lovin’ of a man   
But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand   
There’s a boy here in town says he’ll love me forever  
Who would have thought forever could be severed by   
The sharp knife of a short life,   
Well I’ve had just enough time. 

So put on your best boys and I’ll wear my pearls  
What I never did is done. 

She was mesmerizing, Tim thought as her voice carried across the cool Spring air. It kicked him right in the chest, like some unforeseen force was screaming at him to hang on every word. He looked at her then, her eyes still closed, singing like her life depended on it. She was beautiful, but that wasn’t what kicked him in the chest with the force of a tornado. It was her, the fact that they were both here, ands she was alive; it was a grace he wasn’t sure he deserved, but would forever be grateful for. 

He looked over to Officer Rios’ T.O. who he met after the incident, he could imagine what he was feeling - the guilt and resulting lack of confidence in training new recruits - but Tim also knew his relationship with Lucy was different than any other rookie. He let his mind wander, imagining if this had been the outcome of her kidnapping, instantly making him feel sick to his stomach. He realized then that the thought of her death felt like the loss of sunshine, it wasn’t an outcome that was manageable to fathom.

He diverted his attention back to Lucy, catching her line of vision, looking at her with such an intensity he heard her breath hitch at the end of a verse; life is short, Tim thought, what the hell was he waiting for. It was like the rest of the world dropped away and they were having a conversation no one else present knew they were having. She continued to sing, directly to him. 

A penny for my thoughts, oh no I’ll sell them for a dollar   
They’re worth so much more after I’m a goner   
And maybe then you’ll hear the words I been singin’   
Funny when you’re dead how people start listenin’ 

If I die young bury me in satin   
Lay me down on a bed of roses   
Sink me in the river at dawn   
Send me away with the words of a love song 

The look Tim was currently giving her was overwhelming; it warmed her, but also scared her. They had been dancing around each other for awhile, they both knew what was there, but never actually acknowledged it, and when she did allow herself to think about it, she thought it would be years before they reached this point. But, she supposed that’s what happens when life is lost too young; people reevaluate their priorities; they love like today is their last day and tomorrow doesn’t matter. So, she let him in, looking back with similar intensity, singing directly to him. 

The ballad of a dove   
Go with peace and love   
Gather up your tears, keep ‘em in your pocket Save ‘em for a time when you’re really gonna need ‘em  
The sharp knife of a short life, Well I’ve had just enough time   
So put on your best boys, and I’ll wear my pearls. 

She finished the song, cuing the color guard that soon fired off the rifles; it was the culmination of a terrible event, but ended with the beauty only a serviceman funeral could provide; overpowering sadness, but also with a glimmer of hope, that those remaining were safer because of that person’s actions; that those that fell before him were waiting, that those that fall after hold the same bravery as those before him. 

Lucy quietly returned to her position with her fellow officers, coming between Nolan and Jackson as they looked in to the sky; ready and proud to continue to their careers, knowing that their lives mattered, and that nothing should stop them from enjoying every minute of what was left, whether that be tomorrow or in fifty years… 

By the time they finished greeting their other academy mates, the sun was starting to set. Lucy looked around, anticipating that Tim was waiting for her, and then she spotted him, leaning against a tree, waiting, looking like something out of a movie. He smiled sadly at her, nodding his head towards their shop; she nodded back, ready to leave and wash the emotions of today off. 

“So…” she started as Tim remained silent next to her, turning on the engine to head back to the station, “Tim, you okay?” She suddenly was concerned seeing him grip the steering wheel tighter. 

“I - “ his voice cracked, eyes glassy with emotion, “You know I almost went out of my mind when you were missing, Lucy? I - I don’t think I would have been able to stand it if we hadn’t found you. All I could think today was what if that had been you?” 

“It wasn’t, I’m right here. And so are you. We’re alive and tonight, the world is ours” She grabbed his arm, knowing that she would have felt the same way if he was missing or dead. 

“How did we get here?” He acknowledged their interaction during her song. 

“I don’t know, but I know what I want, life is too short to not take chances.” She paused as he turned to look at her, “Come home with me tonight.” She let out in a breath. 

He was silent, but she noticed the death grip he had on the steering wheel had loosened. He pulled the shop into the garage and turned to her, reaching up his left hand to gently wipe the tears off her cheek. He looked in to her eyes, eyes that were full of question. “Okay..” He whispered, pulling her to him, gently placing his lips on hers. It was sweet, she always thought a kiss with Bradford would be hard and passionate, but today wasn’t a day for that. As usual, he provided what she needed: a kiss that was gentle, sweet, and full of comfort. 

“Let’s go.” She whispered after a few moments. Within an hour they were back at her apartment, she gently tugged his hand pulling him down the hallway to her room, where they slowly learned a new side of each other, no concerns for the what ifs, just them, embracing all that life had to offer…


End file.
